DENVER — He could barely lift his right arm, much less play a round of golf. Cody Eberl even lost the use of that arm completely for seven to eight months. That’s what four herniated discs in one’s neck can do.
That was three years ago, but it hasn’t kept the former Evergreen resident and high school golfer from the game he loves. Be it working with kids or giving lessons, Eberl is also trying to get his own game back.
Unfortunately, it didn’t show up at this year’s Colorado Open.
The 38-year-old former Jeffco League MVP and medalist in 1998-99 while playing for Arvada West High School after three years at EHS carded a 14-over-par 158 in missing the cut at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club last week. He carded a 9-over 81 during Thursday’s first round before shaving off four strokes with a 5-over 77 on Day 2. Nevertheless, he’s still chasing the dream.
“I was hitting (the ball) good to get the job done; (the result) just wasn’t there,” Eberl said.
He’s gritted his teeth and continued to play, even throughout a debilitating injury. He’s not all the way back — saying he’s about 90 percent — but he’s getting there.
A 2000 graduate of Humanex Academy and former golfer at the University of Denver, Eberl was the 1999 Colorado Junior Golf Alliance Tournament of Champions winner. And the fact that the Colorado Open’s history traces back to its early days at Hiwan Golf Club hasn’t been lost on Eberl, who grew up playing on the famous course.
“It’s huge,” Eberl said of the tournament’s rich Hiwan history, noting the comparison that PGA players would make about the greens at the Masters, played at Augusta (Ga.) National, and those at Hiwan. “They would say how Hiwan was every bit as fast or faster.”
The Colorado Open — with a 56-year history behind it — has moved on to Green Valley Ranch. Eberl has a history of his own that he’s looking to build on. Injuries have sidetracked him of late, but he’s confident he’ll get back to previous golfing prowess sooner rather than later.
Editor Michael Hicks can be reached at 303-350-1039 or via email at mhicks@evergreenco.com. Follow him on Twitter @MHicksEditor.